Alexander Zverev won the 2018 ATP Finals in London.GETTY IMAGES
Singapore is bidding to host the $8.5M ATP Finals -- the season-ending tournament for men's tennis -- from '21, according to YAHOO NEWS SINGAPORE. Sport Singapore, the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Sports Hub said in a joint statement on Wednesday, "We have expressed our interest to bring the Nitto ATP Finals to Singapore. This is part of our continued efforts to look out for suitable world-class events that can inspire the enjoyment of sport here, and add to our vibrancy and attractiveness as a sport and lifestyle destination. The Singapore Sports Hub is a world class venue and choice for such events." The move comes after Singapore "said goodbye to the WTA Finals" in October, having hosted the $7M event for the past five years. The tournament is moving to Shenzhen next year, with a prize purse of $14M. The ATP Finals were first held in Tokyo in '70, and have since been played in cities including Paris, Melbourne, N.Y. and Shanghai. Since '09, the event has taken place in London's O2 Arena (YAHOO NEWS SINGAPORE, 11/28). In Singapore, Low Lin Fhoong reported while sports marketing experts and analysts "welcomed" Singapore's bid for the ATP Finals, they also "sounded a cautioning note on the commercial viability of bringing in the tournament." Marketing agency ESG Singapore Exec Dir of Sports David Sim said that it would be "really challenging if you look at the profit and loss." Agency Red Card Global Managing Dir R. Sasikumar "questioned if Singapore has a large enough fan base to fill the stadium year on year." Sasikumar: "We've seen it with the WTA Finals. Over time, the interest kind of whittled down" (TODAY ONLINE, 11/28).
